How to Wear Fancy Shoes or Bags Everyday
Sequined Clutches, Bejeweled Flats and Heels Can Be Daily Looks
Too often women save their nice bags and shoes for “special occasions”, only to find said items sitting in the closet neglected for most of the year. Though it may be impractical to wear one’s nicest heels to the supermarket, there’s no reason why a pretty bag or pair of shoes has to wait until next year’s holiday party before being worn.
Here are a few ways to incorporate that special bag or shoes into one’s everyday style.
The Nice Handbag
Women tend to keep their good quality, structured handbags for instances such as a party or luncheon, where they banish their everyday giant tote for the more elegant bag. But in looking at photographs from earlier eras, women used to carry these nice handbags on a daily basis.
The key is not to be scared of ruining a good bag. One may not be able to throw it around as they do their tote, but with a little care, these bags will last a lifetime.
The more neutral the bag, the more possibilities it has for accompanying an outfit. Handbags look great with dresses and skirts, but there’s also no reason why they shouldn’t be worn with jeans and a sweater. It automatically brings a casual outfit to a new level. Just be sure to forgo the sneakers -- any other pair of shoes, from flats to heels to driving moccasins‘, will look much better.
The Sparkly Clutch
At least one in four women is drawn to a clutch that sparkles… okay, that may be a made-up statistic, but there’s no doubt that a glittery or sequined clutch is a popular type of purse. But there’s no reason why these clutches should be stashed until the next holiday party.
A sequined clutch can be used day or night. For daytime, “dress down” with jeans or casual pants and make sure that shoes don’t have glitz to them -- keep shoes to leather, plain fabric or suede. For a dressier but simple nighttime look, pair the clutch with a dark-colored dress or a monochromatic outfit, such as all black or navy.
The Bejeweled Shoes
A popular look for shoes in the past few seasons have been flats that are encrusted with jewels on top of the toe. Many designers have debuted this look, from the most expensive to the lower lines (Sigerson Morrison’s shoe line for Target had shoes in various jewel colors with gems on the toe.)
Again, jeans are a way to “dress down” the fancy shoe. For upcoming summer months, another cute look is a longer pair of skinny shorts, whether in denim, khaki or fabric. Summer dresses also make an easy outfit -- but keep in mind that a bright summer pattern plus a bejeweled shoe can be a lot of look; check to see if patterns compliment each other (they don’t necessarily have to match), or stick with a simpler dress.
Heels
Heels are often only brought out for parties, sitting in the back of the closet for the rest of the days of the week. Yet women everywhere admire the wardrobes of Carrie Bradshaw and friends, who seem to wear heels to run around the city all day -- perhaps taking heel-wearing a bit too far, but the main idea here is that heels don’t have to be “fancy.”
If one is lucky enough to find a pair of heels that fit well and are comfortable, try wearing them with everyday outfits. Watch old films for inspiration, where the female characters put on heels both with their nicest dresses and their daily clothes. Old TV shows like I Love Lucy provide good examples as well -- though Lucy and Ethel tend to wear flats when hanging around the apartment together, both are always in heels when entertaining or going out.
The point is, accessories, like clothes, don’t need to be “saved” for the finest of occasions -- why not start making every day the finest?
Miu Miu jeweled flats
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